dailyloe.com – SC Freiburg defeated 1. FC Heidenheim 2-1 in a Baden-Württemberg Bundesliga match on April 19, 2026. The home victory strengthened Freiburg’s European qualification ambitions. It also severely damaged Heidenheim’s hopes of avoiding relegation. The match was the 30th round of the Bundesliga season.
Freiburg’s goals were scored by Johan Manzambi in the 24th minute and Maximilian Eggestein in the 83rd. Budu Zivzivadze scored a temporary equalizer for the visiting team. The result propelled SC Freiburg up to seventh place in the league table. Heidenheim remains in last place following the defeat.
Heidenheim is now seven points behind the relegation playoff position. Only four matchdays remain in the season. The club’s chances of staying in the Bundesliga are now described as very slim. The situation is critical for the team’s survival hopes.
Freiburg coach Julian Schuster rotated his starting lineup significantly. He made five changes compared to the team that beat Celta Vigo 3-1. That victory came in a Europa League quarter-final. Only defender Matthias Ginter remained from the previous back four.
Heidenheim coach Frank Schmidt had to make a last-minute change. Striker Eren Dinkci was unavailable due to an Achilles tendon problem. This forced a tactical adjustment for the visiting side before the match began.
SC Freiburg started the game trying to build attacks from defense. They used flat combination play to move the ball forward. Heidenheim defended compactly and allowed little space in the early phase. The first major chance of the match came from a corner kick.
Igor Matanovic had that first big opportunity for Heidenheim. His header from the corner went just wide of the right post in the 19th minute. The chance resulted from a set-piece situation. It was a near miss for the visiting team.
The first shot on target brought Freiburg the lead. It came after a quick transition following a Heidenheim free kick. Vincenco Grifo carried the ball through midfield and found Johan Manzambi. The 20-year-old moved towards the edge of the penalty area.
Manzambi took a shot from that position for the opening goal. His effort was deflected by Heidenheim’s Patrick Mainka. The deflection made the shot unstoppable for the goalkeeper. It was Manzambi’s fifth goal of the season.
Freiburg nearly scored a second unfortunate goal for Heidenheim before halftime. Vincenco Grifo took a long-range shot that was also deflected. This deflected shot struck the crossbar in the 37th minute. The follow-up corner was headed dangerously towards goal by Lucas Höler.
Heidenheim defender Julian Niehus cleared Höler’s header off the line. This prevented Freiburg from doubling their lead before the break. Heidenheim’s own offensive actions lacked precision throughout the first half. The visitors posed little threat going forward.
Substitute Budu Zivzivadze scored to equalize for Heidenheim later in the match. His goal temporarily leveled the score at 1-1. Maximilian Eggestein then scored the winning goal for Freiburg in the 83rd minute. The 2-1 final score secured three points for the home team.
